Ironton educators will host a kickoff celebration of the school system’s $7 million education grant next month.

Wednesday, April 26, 2000

Ironton educators will host a kickoff celebration of the school system’s $7 million education grant next month.

And, odds are good that the May 11 celebration will attract interest from the White House, grant director Jeff Handley said.

"This is a federal program and only 26 states were selected as GEAR UP participants," Handley said.

Two areas in Ohio, Ironton and Cleveland, received the prestigious U.S. Department of Education grant designed to improve student access to education after high school, he said.

Because U.S. education leaders are involved, a visit from a White House representative is possible, Handley said.

"They are very interested and when they heard we were having a celebration, they expressed interest in sending a representative," he said.

The Ironton-based GEAR UP – Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs – six-year grant program is a collaborative effort between the Ohio Board of Regents, Ohio University Southern Campus and Ironton public schools.

"The goal is to enable students to be better-prepared to go on to post-secondary education," said Handley, a former city school teacher.

Ironton will work with a Cleveland area school district – the only other one in Ohio to receive the same award – to eliminate barriers that hinder students from completing high school and from moving on to college or technical schools, he said.

The grant targets current seventh-graders, following them and younger classmates through high school, Handley said.

Along the way, mentor programs, financial aid assistance, extra classes for developing higher education skills, teacher training, parent incentives and other benefits will give those students an edge after graduation, he said.

"The whole goal is to improve access to higher education, whether that’s a two-year degree, vocational school or a university."

The grant will make students and parents and the community aware of opportunities after graduation, he added.

It also brings more money to bear on teacher training, curriculum development and student counseling.

The Ohio College Access Network, one of the successful programs administered by the Ohio Board of Regents, also is involved in GEAR UP.

GEAR UP’s presence in southern Ohio is expected to address a long-term issue in Appalachian Ohio and throughout the state, said Ohio Board of Regents chancellor Roderick Chu said.

"Many generations of Ohio residents still believe, as their parents did much of the last century, that a basic high school education is sufficient for a long and prosperous career," Chu said.

Yet, the best career options in the future center on highly-educated workers, he said.

Handley agreed, adding that education after high school creates a better workforce.

"As we’re finding out in this part of the state, we need to create a workforce so business will move into our communities, but part of the problem is there is no trained workforce," he said.

The ultimate goal of the grant, then, is to improve access for young Ironton men and women to education and training, Handley said.

The celebration will begin May 11 with a 3:30 p.m. press conference at OUSC’s media center. At 4 p.m., Chu and OUSC dean Dr. Bill Dingus, will join city leaders, state and federal legislators and more than 130 city students in a public celebration at OUSC.

A reception afterward features an International Food Festival with entertainment in the OUSC courtyard.